This is my first experience if I get an elk. Outfitter said there is a processer n town that will flash freeze. I'm taking three big coolers. I'll have a two-day trip to get home. Any experiences with dry ice? I'm not sure if it's readily available there.
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Getting your proceesed meat home 20 hours away
- Thread starter Turkeychaser
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Saw a video yesterday that suggested a cheap deep freezer bought at homodepot or lowes wherever you are and a generator . Possibly your vehicle has an inverter that will run the deep freeze .
Yes, done it before with deer and it'll be fine way past 20 hours. Just make sure the meat is frozen solid and do not open then coolers till you get home.
If it's frozen and in coolers, I wouldn't worry about it. Get the coolers cool before you fill them full of frozen meat, lay some towels over them and it will stay fine.
Good luck and I hope you fill the coolers with elk meat!
Good luck and I hope you fill the coolers with elk meat!
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
the elk I killed I just put the skinned quarters, backstraps, and tenderloins in a 120qt cooler with 6 bags of ice. added more ice throughout the week and on the drive home.
then I processed the meat at home 8-9 days after the kill. It took me about 6 hours to fully process each elk... fairly time consuming.
then I processed the meat at home 8-9 days after the kill. It took me about 6 hours to fully process each elk... fairly time consuming.
OldFussNFeathers
Well-Known Member
Where ya headed to anyway? Just curious.
I've done it both ways. I preferred the freezer, but it would depend on your availability of electricity. We put meat that we butchered ourselves in the freezer and then froze it. Loaded the freezer up and drove 25 hours without ever plugging it in again. Meat was still frozen when we got home.
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
We used dry ice when we brought back two antelope and a deer from Wyoming. I drove straight through, 20 hours, and everything was still frozen when we got home.
Dry ice works. If your coolers are large then 3 will be too many. The chest freezer is a great idea, even if you can't run it on the way home… run it till the meat freezes and then use dry ice on top of it. Put a towel between the dry ice and your meat regardless
Thank You!
Northern New Mexico Chama area
I have a regular 120qt igloo cooler that will fit an entire deboned elk with dry ice and make the trip to TN. Proved it a few times.
tellico4x4
Well-Known Member
2nd day air one once from CO, just cost $600. Put it on my corporate account so all was good 
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We used a deep freeze once and it worked well. The last 3 years we've done dry ice. Some processors sell it and many grocery stores sell it. Wear gloves when handling it
You wouldn't happen to know a Hixson would you?
Savage
Well-Known Member
199 deep freeze from Walmart and a generator or dry ice
I do
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Get some old fluffy towels and lay on the bottom put meat in, wrap around meat and stuff more on top.
Close lid, don't open til you get home.
Close lid, don't open til you get home.
Thank you for all suggestions!I have never used dry ice. I see locally it's available at Publix. Is it hard to find out of state?
